


Memory Lane and Hang a Right

by Muddell



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hurt Keith (Voltron), Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Keith (Voltron) Needs a Hug, Keith and Shiro are pretty much brothers, Mind Meld, Protective Shiro (Voltron), Protective Team, Protective Voltron Paladins, Team Bonding, Team Dynamics, Team as Family, They be in his head pretty much, broganes, kind of
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-25
Updated: 2020-11-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:47:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26094370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Muddell/pseuds/Muddell
Summary: Keith clawed his way forward on hands and knees, reaching out into the sprawling darkness in search of the familiar feel of his knife's handle. Overhead a wet howl overwhelmed the sound of papery wings slicing through the thick, muggy air. The brittle aching scent of copper hung in the stairwell.Or, Team Voltron is on a normal scouting mission at a deserted planet when Keith goes radio silent. This fic follows the aftermath of finding him unconscious and suspiciously injured and the attempts the team makes to wake him up...including an excursion into his mind.
Relationships: Allura & Coran & Hunk & Keith & Lance & Pidge | Katie Holt & Shiro, Allura & Keith (Voltron), Coran & Keith (Voltron), Hunk & Keith (Voltron), Keith & Lance (Voltron), Keith & Pidge | Katie Holt, Keith & Shiro (Voltron)
Comments: 32
Kudos: 151





	1. Keith Sleeps on the Job

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this takes place roughly around season one...like, way at the beginning. But I'm not too worried about every little detail so if there are some timeline mistakes I'd honestly just take those with a grain of salt...As of now I don't plan on writing any romance into this, and it'll focus mainly on platonic relationships between the team. Anyway, that's all for now. Enjoy?

**Lance POV...for now.**

Lance shook his head, trudging forward aimlessly.

"I don't know what to tell you, it's pretty much a ghost show out here."

For a moment his only answer was silence, before the sound of Pidge scoffing drifted from his closed helmet. "Try turning your lights on, genius."

"They are on!" Lance defended. He turned his lights on. Twin beams cut through the swirls of dust trailing after him, the airborne grains stirred by his movement settling on nearby collapsed structures. All built from a smooth malleable material similar to Earth's plastic. Nothing else moved.

"Yeah, I think Lance might be right, guys." Hunk agreed. Always reliable. "I'm not getting anything in my sector. This looks like it's a bust."

"Same for me." Shiro put in.

Lance nodded, ignoring the fact that no one would be able to see him. Without anyone mentioning any sign of life they would be heading back soon. They just had to wait on confirmation from-

"What about you, Keith?" Allura asked from the castle. "Anything?"

Lance waited for a quick biting remark to come from his self-proclaimed rival, feeling his confusion mount as the seconds ticked on.

"Keith?" Shiro asked. "Keith, are you there?"

"Oh no." Hunk said. "Oh no. This is bad. This is very bad."

"Alright, nobody panic." Shiro commanded, sounding like he was panicking himself. "Pidge, do you have his last known location?"

"Gimme a sec."

"Seriously, Mullet. If you can hear us, now would be the time to say something." Lance glanced around again, this time fighting a bout of nervousness. As annoying as it was to admit, Keith _was_ one of their best fighters. His competition being Shiro, their leader. If Keith wasn't answering, and was lying incapacitated somewhere, Lance couldn't help but think about what could have done him in.

The grey horizon and crumbling remains of the planet's leading city weren't helping him calm down.

"Got it!" Pidge announced. "I'm sending it over now."

A sudden image blinked to life in the corner of Lance's visor. Five colored dots were spread out in approximately even intervals around the city.

"Lance, Pidge. You two are the closest. Both of you diverge on Keith's location while Hunk and I catch up. And, everyone, keep your eyes peeled."

"Okay." Lance said in affirmation, lifting his bayard slightly and transforming it into his gun. "I'm on my way."

"Me too." Pidge added.

"Um, is anyone else wondering about what happened?" Hunk asked. Lance could tell his buddy was nervous from the way his voice wavered threateningly. It had quivered in the same way when Lance and Pidge carted him off to laser tag back in their Garrison days.

Lance forced an unsteady laugh. "Hey, it might end up being that Keith just fell and hit his head or something. He'll probably be fine."

Either way, Lance forced himself to move faster, climbing over rubble and ducking under twisted frames. More dust floated up to obscure his vision but he plowed through. Hoping that a face with glowing red eyes and an appetite for humans wasn't about to pop out of the gloom.

"Allura, how are Keith's vitals?" Shiro asked. They all waited for a moment for the Altean to respond from the Castle. Lance imagined her face, pinched with confusion as Coran hovered nearby.

"I'm sorry. It appears that something is blocking Coran from the data."

"Tech?" Hunk asked. "Is there something blocking the signal?"

Coran's loud and bubbling voice suddenly streamed from the communication line, causing Lance to wince and lose his footing on the sandy ground. Minerals sliding under his feat and jostling his firm position. He skidded backwards down a slight slant. "I would think that there's something currently wrong with Number Four's equipment. I can definitely get a reading on everyone else."

"So, no signal blocking." Hunk deduced. "Okay. Still not good."

"Guys, I'm going to be delayed." Pidge announced suddenly. "Some unstable streets are in the way. I'm going to have to double back."

"Alright." Shiro replied, not sounding happy about the update. "Lance how are you?"

Lance looked at the map in the corner of his helmet. A blue dot, clearly his, was slowing approaching the red blip that continued to blink.

"Nearly there."

"Stay sharp." Shiro reminded him. "If something attacked Keith it could still be lurking around his position. Don't just run in blind."

"Why are we running in at all!" Hunk protested. But Lance knew there wasn't that much complaint behind his words. If he could help Keith, or anyone else, Hunk would be plowing through an army of Galras in a second. It was just the way he was.

Lance kept walking. Checking in occasionally with the rest of the team as the minutes inched by unbearably, until he passed under a crumbling ceiling cautiously. The blue dot was nearly on top of the red.

"I'm not seeing him..." Lance updated, knowing everyone was waiting. "There's just a lot of ruins and stuff."

"Keep looking." Pidge ordered.

Lance sighed. "I know! That's what I'm doing."

He shuffled under an overhang and came into a less cluttered area. Basking in the free range, Lance used his suit's jet packs to propel him forward. Dipping down here and there to push off of the ground.

Another minute passed, tenser than the last.

"I'm still pretty far out, have you guys found anything yet?" Hunk asked.

"No." Lance huffed. It didn't make sense. According to Pidge's map, he should have been right on top of Keith. "I can't find an-There!"

Ignoring the hasty questions and requests for progress reports, Lance flew through the air, cutting a line through the gritty fog shouting, "Keith!"

"Lance what's happening?!"

"Is he okay?"

"Did you find him?"

"Lance!"

But he ignored it. He was too busy skidding to a stop, the sand that spanned the city and the rest of the planet displaced under the angry efficiency of his movements. "Keith, c'mon man, wake up!"

He gripped the shoulders of his fri-rival. He gripped the shoulders of his rival and tugged Keith's upper body onto Lance's lap. Keith's limbs were limp. Easily pliable to Lance's will. He checked his pulse through the gap in the outer armor, feeling his own heartbeat flutter with relief at the steady pressure. "Keith! Wake up!"

"Wake up?" Shiro asked. "What do you mean wake up? Is he unconscious?"

"That tends to be why people say 'wake up!'" Pidge pointed out. Their bickering gained Lance's attention.

"Guys?"

"What is it, Lance?" Allura asked. "Can you tell us Keith's status?"

"Um, yeah. He's out. I don't know why..."

Lance scanned Keith for injuries. "There isn't any blood. That I can see, at least."

"Is it his head?" Pidge's voice sounded different than usual. Tighter and higher.

"I can't tell." Lance admitted. "His helmet's intact though. He's still wearing it."

"Well of course!" Coran put in. "That's paladin armor!"

They ignored him. It wasn't personal.

"Lance." Shiro sounded serious. Lance didn't blame him at all. "What are your surroundings like right now?"

"Uh, we're in the open." Lance glanced around. "There's some sort of blueish/grayish building in front of us. It's mostly intact. Other than that everything else around us has fallen over."

"You mean the tower with the spiral thing?" Pidge asked, causing Lance to go ramrod straight.

"Yeah, that's the one. Why? Can you see it?" Lance carefully lifted Keith up and glanced at his back. No sign of injury.

"Uhuh. I'm on the other side I think. Probably a minute or two out from your location."

"Wait!" Shiro said. "Be careful, Pidge. And you, Lance. Whatever attacked Keith could still be out there."

"Let's not dismiss the 'Keith tripped and knocked himself out' theory yet." Hunk begged.

Lance tuned them out, focusing on dragging Keith away, and under an overhang. All the while talking nonsense words to his unconscious teammate. He waited, but no reply came. Under the glare of his visor Keith's complexion was paler than ever.

"Lance." Shiro said.

"Yeah?"

"Besides the buildings, do you see anything else? Like an indication of a struggle or a fight? Or even someone else?" Shiro asked seriously.

Lance propped Keith against a wall, ignoring the way his head lolled against his shoulder, and turned back to examine the wreckage. He left one hand against Keith's shoulder to steady him.

The strange, nearly flexible, plastic material used on the city's buildings was utilized in other objects. Weird contraptions Lance didn't know the use for were lying, abandoned, on the ground. Unknown pieces sticking out in rods and ledges from piles of trash.

Everything was alien. Which, Lance reminded himself, was to be expected when the planet was previously home to a different species from those known to Earth, or any other Lance had encountered with Voltron.

But despite the unkempt surroundings, Lance didn't notice anything that indicated a fight had recently taken place. Besides, the only real disturbance to the constant layer of dust was the trail he'd dragged Keith away on and the footsteps from his, and previously Keith's, arrivals.

"Sorry. I don't see anything." Lance reported.

"Um, that's a good thing." Hunk reminded him. "No need to apologize."

"Lance!" The mentioned teenager glanced up as he realized the cry hadn't originated from his helmet. "Lance!"

It was short. Green. And aggressively crawling over the rubble.

Pidge had arrived.

"Pidge!"

The girl skidded to a stop next to him under the overhang. She immediately turned to Keith.

"He's still not up?"

"I would have told you if he was." Lance reminded her.

"Allura! Can you send down a pod?" Shiro asked.

"Already on its way. It should arrive at Pidge, Lance, and Keith's location in moments."

"Last time we go anywhere without the lions." Pidge vowed darkly, already looking Keith over the same way Lance had. She spoke directly into the communication line. "Guys, Lance is right. I can't see what's wrong with Keith. We're going to have to figure it out when he's not relying on this suit for oxygen."

"It's alright Pidge. We're nearly there. Just hold tight for a minute." Shiro said. Lance looked at the map to confirm it. The black and yellow dots were quickly arriving at the multicolored blob where Pidge, Keith, and Lance were camped out. Hunk was a little further. Shiro must've been booking it.

"Lance! I can see it!" Pidge declared. She stared up into the grey clouds as a light craft sped towards them, gliding to a stop that kicked up waves of sand in the nearby clearing. A door unhitched from the spherical ship and slid down to create a ramp.

"Ship's here." Lance said while Pidge tipped Keith forward and tried to hoist him up by wrapping her arms around his chest.

"Lance, help me with Keith. Unless everyone wants me to kick him up."

Lance assisted Pidge with supporting their unconscious red paladin, somewhat carrying and somewhat dragging him, over to the alien craft. At least Keith was shorter than Lance.

"I can see you." Shiro reported from their voice line. Lance glanced up and noticed Shiro jogging in their direction, using his jet pack to push himself forward when he wasn't in the remains of buildings.

"Well hurry up!" Pidge called, already in the ship.

Lance ducked inside with her, while speaking into his helmet. "Hunk? Where are you buddy?"

"Um, got a little held up. This terrain is kind of messing with me."

"We'll swing by and pick you up." Shiro told him as he climbed into the ship, immediately racing over to Keith, where Pidge had dumped him (in a somewhat careful manner) on a table in the back. Clear shelves filled with glass tubes of liquid and various substances surrounded the space. Apparently Coran and Allura had sent down a medical pod.

"How is Keith?" Allura asked over the line. "Has he regained consciousness yet?"

"No." Shiro answered, tightly.

Lance glanced around. The sudden lack of something glaringly obvious catching his attention. "Hey guys, where are the controls?"

"The pod is currently on auto-pilot. I've re-programmed it to stop at Hunk's location and return each of you to the Castle of Lions." Allura answered. As she spoke the door closed, sliding back into place. A low hum from the engines and the ship began to move, trembling beneath their feet.

"Sounds good." Pidge muttered.

Lance turned back to Keith. Shiro had removed his helmet and was currently running his hands through Keith's dark curls, searching for any sign of blood or bumps. Lance walked up next to him and began to help strip off Keith's outer armor, glancing at the suit he wore under and not finding any sign of tear or injury.

"Thanks." Shiro said distractedly, eyebrows scrunched together.

"Find anything?" Hunk asked from the helmet. His voice was still wavering.

"Not yet." Shiro answered. He shook his head. "I don't understand. There isn't any sign of his head suffering any damage."

Lance clenched his teeth. Enemies were one thing. He could fight them. Injuries another. Even with the little first aid he'd been taught at the Garrison and the small amount of medical knowledge he'd picked up with Voltron he was normally able to help somewhat with wounds if the need arose. But this? What could Lance do to help if he didn't know what was wrong?

Pidge walked up beside them. "Did he get hit anywhere else? Maybe he passed out from...blood loss?"

Lance didn't think that was likely, and he doubted anyone else did either. After all, they would've seen the blood pooling around his limp form, through his uniform by now.

"Hey! I can see you guys!" Hunk interrupted suddenly. "At least, I hope that's the pod from the Castle."

The ship jolted out of the blue.

"You've begun to descend." Allura told them. Lance imagined the pod dropping down to where Hunk waited, the sand swirling dangerously. It reminded him of helicopters landing in old action movies. Dirt scraping and scratching at the protagonists.

"Alright," Pidge said. "Let's make this quick, Hunk."

"Got it."

And Hunk was fast. As soon as the door slid open, he scrambled up the ramp and hustled over to Keith's side along with the rest of them. The door closed and the ship began to move again.

Lance turned back to Keith, staring down at the grimace his rival adorned in his immobile state. Sure, they had some rough interactions. It was only expected with them going head to head since the Garrison. But he never wanted Keith to get _hurt_ or...whatever had happened to him. A sour taste burned his throat.

"What's that?"

* * *

**POV...Um...SHIRO!**

Keith wasn't a kid anymore. Shiro knew that.

But looking down at his friend, lying on a sterile table, unconscious, Shiro couldn't help but remember the boy he'd met at the Garrison. The kid so socially damaged from his years in the system that it took months for him to warm up to Shiro's helping hands.

And now.

Shiro stared at him and his chest ached.

It seemed so unfair. After everything Keith had gone through, both on Earth, and so far up in space, for him to be injured. Shiro just hoped it was nothing serious, nothing that couldn't be fixed by a chunk of time in the med bay.

If it was...

"What's that?" Shiro looked over at Pidge, jolted from his thoughts, as she pointed towards Keith's collarbone.

They all noticed the small scratch that sprouted from underneath his outfit. Shallow, but vivid red against his pallor.

"Probably from all the training he does." Hunk theorized. "He's bound to get beat up sometimes."

But Shiro hesitated. Some instinctive feeling in the pit of his stomach urged him to reach over and grab Keith's collar, pulling the fabric down a few inches to reveal what it had previously hidden.

"Oh god, that's not normal." Hunk said, completely changing his tune, and backing away from the table.

Shiro agreed.

Keith's skin was covered in scratches. Beads of blood gathered in areas where lines intersected, somewhat deformed by the way the uniform smothered the cuts.

But the thing that got to Shiro the most was the way the scratches were etched into his skin, forming deliberate lines and circles.

Shiro glanced over at the blue paladin, noting that he was looking down at Keith with wide eyes. "Lance, pass me one of those blades." Shiro pointed his chin at a shelf with a tube filled with small scalpel-like knives.

"What? Why?" But Lance was already opening the glass door over the shelf and reaching into the clear tube for an instrument. He passed one along to Shiro's awaiting Galra hand. His human one busy resting on Keith's shoulder.

"Hunk, Pidge, you guys mind?" Shiro nodded towards the other side of the craft, where a bench was protruding from the ship's side. "It's getting a little crowded."

And it was, with all four of them squished over around Keith and the table, Shiro hardly had room to move his elbows.

"Uh, yeah." Hunk agreed. He and Pidge both shot one more worried look at Keith, then turned around and went to sit on the bench. Pidge pulled out one of her devices and started clicking away as Hunk watched.

"I'll go-" Lance began.

"Wait." Shiro held out an arm and held him. "I might need some help."

Shiro reached forward and used the scalpel to cut through Keith's upper uniform to just above his navel, peeling the fabric back gently to eye the designs scratched into his skin. They spanned from his collar bones to the bottom of his rib cage in shallow cuts. Shiro's hand tightened around the scalpel.

"What the quiznak is that?" Lance asked.

Shiro wanted to know too.

"Huh?" Pidge came over, her usually bright eyes dimming at the sight of the cuts. She used her handheld device to snap a quick picture and nodded back to where Hunk sat, waiting anxiously. "We'll start on this."

"Thank you."

She walked back and the two dived into research using the alien records Coran and Allura had gathered.

Shiro sighed. It was that or break something, and the atmosphere felt fragile and tight as it was.

Lance awkwardly waited beside him, and Shiro shook his head. Get back into the moment. Something was wrong and everyone needed him to be a leader. C'mon Shiro, keep it together.

"Okay. Lance, do you see a flashlight of any kind?"

"Flashlight?" Lance rifled through the shelves, clicking buttons and wincing as liquid splashed onto the ground around his feet. Shiro pulled the top of Keith's uniform back together, covering the symbols. Some blood smudged against the fabric and leaked through in small dots. "Got one!"

Lance held out a device. Shiro clicked a button and some light gushed out of the edge. "This'll work."

Shiro pulled back Keith's eyelids, gazing down at the distinctive purple color that had baffled so many over the years Shiro had known him. Shiro used the light and shone it at his eyes, feeling relief as Keith's pupils contracted dutifully.

"No sign of brain damage." Shiro reported, withholding a negative _yet_.

"That's good." Lance said, nodding, and swallowing thickly. "I mean, sure we're probably going to have to put up with mullet's annoying self a while longer, but at least he won't be raving mad."

Shiro ignored him. Instead, he stared down at Keith, noticing sadly that even unconscious his expression was twisted into a frown. He went to cover him with a silky fabric from the shelf, better a blanket than nothing, when-

The floor suddenly shook, the engine cutting out and the craft descending for a moment before stopping.

A moment of silence.

"Are we back?" Hunk asked. He held a hand against the wall warily. Preparing for the possibility of the ship maneuvering unpredictably again.

A side of the craft began to slide out, and down. Recreating the ramp and answering Hunk's question with the two silhouettes that awaited.

"Indeed." Allura answered briskly, Coran already climbing up to join Shiro and Lance at Keith's side. He pulled back the neck of Keith's suit to eye the cuts.

"Bring him to the cryopod." Coran ordered, already shoving Keith into Shiro's arms, all harsh and serious. The bubbly tone from earlier put away now that it became clear Keith was in real trouble.

Shiro didn't waste a second, already curling Keith closer against him in a bridal carry and whisking them both out, in the direction of the medical bay. Everyone followed behind, but Shiro hardly spared them a glance. He was too consumed with purpose.

The distance seemed longer than he was used to, but finally they made it to the doorway. Turning sideways and slipping through the entrance with Keith, Shiro's attention immediately latched onto the cryopods. He hurried over.

Behind him the others were talking quietly. More importantly, Coran readied the pod.

He readjusted his arms and as Keith's unconscious features twisted and his breathing quickened Shiro felt his heart tighten further then it was already grasped. Each glance down only strengthened an angry burning deep inside.

Whatever was going on, Shiro would find a way to keep Keith safe, and then he would find whoever did this and hold them responsible.

The thought was rigid and stuck to his mind like glue. Shiro knew at once he meant every word with a burning sincerity.

"Place him inside," Coran said, backing away from the pod abruptly.

Shiro walked up and reluctantly stood Keith up in the capsule.

"I need to close it," Coran warned when it became clear Shiro wasn't going to back away unprompted. Shiro shook his head, soaked in the image of Keith's face without a pellucid cover in the way, and managed to leave the younger alone in his pod.

Barely. He barely managed.

For a couple minutes Shiro just stood there.

Coran spent the time fiddling with controls and arranging things on the medbay, probably in preparation for when Keith woke up. At some point Shiro distantly heard Hunk asking Coran questions and Pidge relay some information, gesturing at the screen on her hand-held tech in the process.

Shiro wrung his hands together. Tried not to bite his lip.

The collar of Keith's uniform had flipped down to reveal a few extra inches of inflamed skin, his complexion had lost a couple hues, transforming from his normal pale to ghostly white. He looked smaller without his usual jacket. Softer without his usual scowl.

Shiro swallowed thickly.

* * *

**Keith's POV**

Keith clawed his way forward on hands and knees, reaching out into the sprawling darkness in search of the familiar feel of his knife's handle. Overhead a wet howl overwhelmed the sound of papery wings slicing through the thick, muggy air. The brittle aching scent of copper hung in the stairwell.

He drew in a rattling breath, the aroma of blood choking his lungs, and tried to scurry further into the void, only for his hand to slip out from underneath him. He went crashing to the concrete below and found himself lying in a pool of cooling liquid.

He didn't want to know.

Everything burned. His arms, his legs, his torso. His head was pounding with a spiking pain and Keith forced his eyes open against the itch scraping against his eyes.

Bright spots enveloped his vision from keeping his eyes squeezed shut too long.

He shook and heaved for oxygen and waited for the last of the lights to dissipate-

Four.

Three?

Three.

Two.

Still two.

Keith shook his head and studied the two warbling spheres of brightness. He watched as the shaky silhouettes solidified into two pinpoints symmetrical to the other, gaining a red hue.

Keith's hand found his knife, he drew it close and waited.

The two eyes stared back at him from the shadows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, if you made it to the end here's your gold star. Sorry for any mistakes or if characterization left much to be desired...and I'm not sure when this'll get updated, but thanks for reading! I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below...  
> And that's all folks!


	2. In Which Hunk Makes Cookies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaand I'm back! Thank you so much for everyone that showed support for the last chapter...reviews especially are honestly my favorite thing like, ever! I hope you continue to enjoy the story?

**Shiro POV**

Pidge left.

A flash of green in the corner of his eye told him, paired with the sound of fleeing footsteps.

"Pidge!" Allura called.

There was the sound of someone else moving, in the direction of the infirmary doors. They didn't get very far before-

"Hunk, wait!" Lance warned. "Just...let her be. For now."

"But-"

"I know, buddy."

Shiro stopped listening after that.

Part of him knew he should be gathering the team around, that being together was a priority when there was something that affected moral. But another, more in charge, part of him decided to ignore that piece of himself for the moment.

Instead, he focused on Keith's face.

Which, thinking about it, he probably wouldn't appreciate.

Shiro didn't really care. As far as he was concerned, turning up unconscious under dubious circumstances forfeited your right to a lonesome rest in a cyro-pod. Not that this looked like much of a rest-Keith's face was lined and tense, his hair plastered against his forehead with sweat and his skin whiter than a sheet.

Shiro reached up and tentatively trailed a finger down the lid of the pod.

"Hey, uh, Shiro?"

Lance.

"Hunk and I, we're going to the kitchens-Hunk's gonna get something together."

Shiro forced himself to nod.

"You, um, you wanna come with?"

Shiro shook his head.

They left.

* * *

Allura came to stand beside him a little bit later.

Silent and still, she was exactly the type of company Shiro wanted at the moment. For ten doboshes or so they listened to Coran play around with controls until the man finally wrote something down on a screen, pressed one last button, and let the control panel sink into the Altean floor.

"Well, I'll be doing some maintenance in the paladin wing," Coran announced. "Don't hesitate to call if you need me!"

"Thank you, Coran." Allura acknowledged, her head tilting in a tight nod.

Then, he was gone.

* * *

A while later Allura finally uncrossed her arms.

She reached out and placed a hand on the pod (Shiro's had long since returned to his side) and sighed softly.

Allura's hand slipped away. "I'm going to check the readings on the planet. Perhaps I can find something that will be of use."

Shiro knew he should go with her. Help look for solutions and to try and find what had happened. But if they were both gone, that would mean no one was in the infirmary. He couldn't leave Keith alone.

"Okay."

She walked away.

* * *

"Shiro."

Hunk had returned.

"I brought you a pookie-well, a cookie. But it's purple, so, um, you know. Pookie?"

Shiro reached out and let Hunk drop the treat into his human hand. "Thank you."

"No problem, I mean. I think they taste good, and, well, gotta share the love."

Shiro took a bite. The food melted in his mouth, sweet and balanced. He offered the baker a smile.

"Shiro, I can stay for a bit. If you want to-Idk, go find something more to eat?"

Shiro really considered it. He could feel the ache in his lower back, and his skin was crawling with stale sweat. But then he thought of Keith, a much younger version, with red eyes, a temperature that gave off worrying heat, and a tight grip on Shiro's wrist. _Don't go-Please, Shiro._

Shiro stayed.

Hunk left.

* * *

It was even later when Lance paid him a visit.

His hair was wet, dripping on the shoulders of his robe. His frown was evident.

"You look like shit."

Shiro cracked a smile at that, turning to look at his teammate.

"Thanks."

Lance didn't seem to find it funny. "I mean it Shiro. You look ready to keel ove-"

He shook his head, swallowing those words down.

"You need a break. Grab a shower, a change of clothes. Something to eat that isn't a pookie. Some _sleep_."

"In a little bit," Shiro promised. "Just...in a little bit."

A moment of silence.

"Fine. I'll come remind you."

Lance turned on his heal and that was that.

Shiro and Keith were left alone.

* * *

**Hunk POV**

Hunk rolled the dough between his hands, the violet substance molding to the shape of his hands when he grabbed a fistful and separated it from the rest of the batch. He smoothed the piece into a sphere-bordering on a squat cylinder-and set it down in the half completed row spanning midway across his pan.

He grabbed another chunk and repeated the process.

Then, once more.

Behind him he heard a weighty sigh-the fifth one in the last half-varga.

Hunk considered saying something (for the fourth time), discreetly eyeing his best friend through the reflection of a metallic instrument-a device that functioned as some sort of toaster as far as Hunk could tell.

It turned out he didn't need to do a thing.

"Like, what the heck!" Lance burst out. Finally. Hunk glanced over his shoulder just in time to watch his hands fly into the air. "That stuff was underneath his paladin armor. Man, how the hell do you get cut underneath your armor without leaving a scratch on the outside?"

Hunk shook his head. "I don't know-"

"Exactly!" Lance agreed. He stood up from his chair and began pacing back and forth as Hunk starting rolling out another row of dough. "This alien stuff is-is-"

"Crazy?" Hunk offered.

"Crazy! And you know mullet-he's a hothead! A ticking time bomb! A-a-"

"Loose cannon?"

"Right! And it's like he's got superpowers or something. The way he can avoid hits-I mean-What the hell could've gotten the drop on him. Really."

"Hmm," Hunk murmured as he finished, grabbing the full pan and sliding it into the Altean version of an oven. He'd taken to affectionately referring to it as a heater. "I don't know Lance."

Lance huffed, the same arms that had been gesturing sharply for the last half-dobosh were now crossed tightly over his chest.

"When he wakes up we're going to run evasion drills again," Lance decided. "Because he clearly didn't pay attention-you know what. We're running all the drills. And whatever knocked him out-he's telling us what did-we're going to focus on that too."

Hunk spun around lazily to face his teammate, leaning against the Altean counter. "Good idea."

Lance nodded. Then, abruptly drew his hand through his hair, fingers scraping against the roots and disrupting the meticulously cared for hairstyle. Hunk mentally winced. "He's such an idiot. Oh my god."

A pause.

"When he wakes up I'm going to kill him."

Hunk shrugged.

"Violently."

"That's understandable," Hunk agreed. "You do that. But, when you're done, you, me, him, Shiro, Pidge, Coran, and Allura too-we're all gonna sit down, and we're going to have some pookies. I think we could all use a bit of them in our lives at the moment and everyone is going to participate."

Hunk finished another sphere and settled it on the tray with the others.

Lance stopped pacing, turning to stare. "Wait what? Pookies?"

"Pookies." Hunk grinned, nodding in the direction of the heater. "Purple cookies. I got a hold of some ingredients from that planet we visited a couple quintants ago. You remember, the one with the orange sky?"

"I remember."

"Well, when Keith wakes up, we're all gonna get together, and I'm giving him a pookie." Hunk felt a frown twist his lips. Gray clouded his head like cobwebs. And then suddenly he needed to say it, needed Lance to know. His hands curled into fists and he stared at the ground as the words left. "I-I wanted to make his favorite food, you know? But, well, I don't know what his favorite food is."

Lance's expression morphed. His glare loosened and his eyebrows drew up. "Buddy-"

"I know yours is garlic knots," Hunk interrupted. "Pidge loves lasagna, extra cheese and just a little overdone."

"Hunk-"

"Shiro likes pizza with pineapple. I don't know what his favorite is, but I know he liked pizza with pineapple. And he can't stand tea without honey, but he prefers coffee anyway. Black, with just a dash of milk." Hunk shook his head. "Coran is all over food goo, you know how he is?"

"Yeah."

"Even Allura. She loves chocolate, even if she thinks it tastes like something from Altea-I know that was chocolate we tried. And she ate the American breakfast I got together-even if there wasn't any pepper in the eggs. And I'm pretty sure those eggs were like, eighty percent yolk-but she ate it and loved it. Told me so."

"But Keith," Hunk sighed. "He eats it all. Says thank you, every time. But never once, not once has he told me what his favorite is. Not even what he likes."

Lance had walked over now, lending one arm that wrapped around Hunk's shoulders in support. "You can ask him when he wakes up."

Hunk nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, I will. And then I'm going to make whatever he says. It doesn't matter if we need to fly all the way to Earth to get the stuff to do it."

"Exactly, and in the meantime-" Lance pointed his chin at the heater and offered a smile, not a smirk or a quick flash of teeth like he was prone to do. An actual smile that turned up in both corners and just barely let his two front teeth poke into view. Lance's smile. One of the good ones. "He can try a pookie."

Hunk gave a smile of his own. "Yeah."

They stood there for a moment, before Lance's arm slipped away and Hunk was able to finish separating his dough into raw pookies and then slip the whole thing into the heater. When this batch was done, he would bring one to Shiro, offer their leader a break from Keith's side. It was obvious enough he needed one.

* * *

**Pidge's POV**

Pidge felt like an intruder.

She watched, passive but not, as Coran urged Shiro away from the pod and closed Keith inside. She almost expected him and his box to be lowered into the ground to be covered with soil and grief and, in short words, completely abandoned.

But that didn't happen.

Keith stayed propped up behind the translucent lid, gray skin turned blue by the tinted window, and Shiro stayed standing not three feet away.

Pidge stayed where she was too. Waiting at the entrance of the infirmary with Hunk on her right and Allura on her left, and with a full view of Lance glancing hesitantly from them to everyone else from where he lingered in the middle of the floor.

Lance scuffed a toe against the ground and glanced around. They made eye contact.

 _What do I do?_ His eyes asked.

 _Nothing you can do._ She thought. He must have gotten the message because a second later Lance was dejectedly standing next to Hunk, both hands jammed in his pockets, and a frown fixed to his face.

Coran babbled for another minute or so, fiddling with controls, ordering Shiro a couple feet back at one point so he could tap at the cryopod for some reason.

Pidge drew in one breath after another, each filled with the taste of an Altean infirmary, a tang that could only be described as clean. Sharp like antiseptic and so much colder. It crawled down her throat like ice and left her swallowing back the bitter taste.

Distantly she registered Allura murmuring something soft, probably poetic and heartfelt.

"I'm gonna go run a search on those pictures," she announced, pretty sure the princess had finished talking.

It didn't matter, Pidge was already through the infirmary doors and making her way down the castle halls, ignoring the words called after her.

She thought of going to her room, but the idea of four walls so close around brought the image of Keith in his cryo-coffin to the front of her mind. The lounge was also an option, but she expected one or two of her teammates would be making their way there soon enough. She wasn't in the mood for conversation.

So Pidge let her feet walk and her mind wander-until she found herself standing in front of Green.

"Hey, girl," Pidge greeted. Her lion offered a low rumble and lowered her head so Pidge could climb inside.

Immediately a bright energy surged around her like a whirlwind, brushing away the cold and blanketing her form in warmth.

"Thanks," Pidge sighed, sinking into the pilot seat. "I needed that."

The chair vibrated as Green purred.

Pidge pulled out a device, the nearest replacement to a phone she had found and altered since her excursion into space. She idly entered a passkey and the photos popped into view-the last tab she'd had open before she allowed the not-quite-phone to time out.

She thumbed through the photos she'd briskly snapped-less than a dozen to browse through. A couple focused on certain symbols specifically, others zoomed out to show multiple or all of the images carved into his skin in one shot.

Pidge and Hunk briefly had a chance to look at the different marks while they were flying back to the Castle in the pod and at the time neither of them had recognized anything.

Looking at the photos now Pidge came to terms with the fact that hadn't changed.

Absolutely none of them meant anything to her-after years of learning different earthen and alien coding languages it couldn't be more frustrating to suddenly have another script she didn't understand. But Pidge was nothing if not persistent, and this would be far from her first challenge.

It was possible the symbols made up a language, it was possible they made up something else. Either way, Pidge planned to find out their meaning.

She opened a new tab, starting setting up an algorithm for a deep search of all the data she'd accumulated on the not-phone. Videos and images and information scrounged from different worlds they'd visited.

Later, if this didn't pan out, she'd toy around with the information filed away in the Castle. But sifting through the thousands of years of available data didn't exist in a timeline she envied.

Pidge shifted in her seat. Then, immediately regretted it as a familiar ache made itself known. In her muscles. In her feet. Her back.

She was in good shape, but earlier that morning the paladins had been woken from their sleep-sent searching straight after a distress call the Castle monitors had picked up. The signal had ended up driving them to a stranded craft and they'd sent the four occupants on their way, ship fixed and supplies stocked.

But then they passed a planet under Galra rule and just had to stop in...only to be sent to a neighboring allied planet by the frantic leaders. Warnings of the Galra responding ruthlessly to the native race's resistance chasing them to the same planet Keith had collapsed on-for reasons unknown.

And Pidge had spent the entire time fighting, running, flying. Her mind stretching to work out problem after problem.

She yawned.

To sum it up, she was tired.

In front of her a gray bar flexed on the screen of her device, rising up and down in tandem with the progress of her search. She scanned the coding appearing at the top and the dismal progress report it made up. Vargas until completion.

She felt Green sigh alongside her, her metal body humming beneath Pidge as her eyelids dragged down. She forced them open, tracing the path of the loading bar with her gaze-but that only caused her breathing to deepen. Match the slow back and forth of the fluctuating line.

Pidge leaned into the heat of her pilot seat, the field of her vision cutting down to a small sliver. Back and forth the line grew and shrunk. Up and down her chest agreed.

She didn't even notice falling asleep.

* * *

**Keith POV**

He left his jacket tangled in the thorns.

After tearing his way through the wall, barbs catching on his skin and snagging at his clothes, it had been him dropping his knife in the muck that forced him to slip loose of the trapped sleeves. Ducking to rake his hands through the murk and grab his knife had been the priority-no question. He didn't regret it.

But as the cold clung to him and goosebumps crawled over his skin he couldn't help but wish he had one more thing from the outside to hold onto. Unfortunately, he was beginning to realize that here-wherever here happened to be-was a place of ice. Anything that would bring warmth, heat or otherwise, wasn't something that was supposed to last, his jacket included.

Distantly a ragged scream rang out. Followed by another. And one more. Each louder, stronger, and closer than the last.

He forced himself to his feet, tearing himself away from his spot leaning against a skeletal, winding tree. He'd already tried fighting.

_ColdPainBurningScreamsCan'tGetAway-_

It hadn't worked out.

So he tightened his grip on his weapon and focused his gaze to the black horizon.

Time to move.

Keith drew himself to his feet and there was nothing to grab. No bag or weapon to reach for besides the one already clutched in his hand. So he fell into a steady jog, footsteps tentative over the bare dirt and mud, which was riddled with divots and fallen, rotting trees. The ones still standing were spread out, but the sheer number plunged the distance into shadows and uncertainty.

His destination stood out over it all though.

White like bone and towering over the tree line, it waited. The only building he'd seen since the town he'd landed in.

The less said about that the better.

After that place it was definitely a risk to go towards anything that resembled civilization, Keith knew that. But staying to the woods wasn't working either, and the sound of pursuit only got closer the longer he ran.

He had to try. And who knows? Maybe there was something other than safety waiting for him there. A person, someone who could tell him where he was-what _planet_ he was on. And if not, there could be a sign.

Anything would be infinitely better than what he had now. Which was nothing.

Nothing and no one.

Keith flinched as a howl sounded over the blood pumping in his ears. His foot caught on a branch that snaked away from the fallen carcass of a tree. He staggered and nearly impaled himself on his own blade.

When he regained his footing his heart was beating angrier than before, but the ache in his chest that had only festered since his arrival was named.

He was lonely.

After years of bouncing around in the foster system, whatever tentative bonds he managed to form being severed every move, he thought he knew how his life would play out. Solo.

And then he met Shiro. Who took him under his wing when he didn't have to. Who forced his companionship on him until Keith grudgingly accepted this new person had dug out a spot in his life. He grew used to have him around and there and everything was maybe a little less hard.

Until Shiro left on his Kerberos mission.

A Shiroless Garrison wasn't the same. Sure, there was Adam. Shiro's ex made a point to track him down, go on a few practice runs in the simulator, catch a bite to eat after where _No Keith, you are not ordering double french fries in place of the salad._ Mostly to be annoying, Keith was sure. But other than that, he didn't have any friends. Just less obnoxious classmates and more obnoxious classmates. There was no one.

Then he got expelled. Moved out to the dessert. And then, then he was truly alone. Just the night sky, him, and the shack he lived in.

Until Shiro came back.

And he brought the other paladins, Allura, and Coran into Keith's life at the same time.

And suddenly there were people joining him for training, asking him for help to cart around projects and random boxes of tech. Dragging him to the kitchens for a chat or inviting him to spa nights. He always said no, but still. The thought was there.

But now. In the forest with the bone tower in front and the stairwell town and those _things_ behind him, he had no one once again.

Somehow that hurt more than the bruises and superficial cuts that marred his body.

He just wanted to ruffle Pidge's hair, fist-bump Hunk, wrestle with Lance, to gain a pat on the back from Coran. He wanted to share a casual hug with Allura again, and Shiro too, whose embraces were so much firmer and encompassing but no worse and no better.

The mud beneath his foot caused him to slip again and this time he really did fall to the floor of the dead forest. Ash and dirt and water smeared across his shirt and pants. Painted his skin.

The howls of the creatures hadn't stopped. They were louder than ever before.

He was cold and aching and tired.

He had no jacket.

He had no friends.

Keith was alone.

* * *

**Lance POV**

"Shiro," he warned.

Luckily, it seems the Black Paladin was finally ready to listen. Hours after they needed him to.

"Yeah," Shiro agreed. He raised his hand, pressed it against the cyro-pod, and then turned to leave. "You're right, Lance."

Lance walked over to stand where Shiro had stood in his silent vigil.

He watched Shiro go.

And then Keith and him were together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey. Well. That's done. This chap feels really short, but also like, weirdly rambling? The plot's gonna pick up in the next chap. Promise, I already got it planned out and like, the skeleton written, so that should be available shortly. Hopefully it goes a bit better than this part...which I'm like, not that happy with. Especially Hunk's bit...that felt so cheesy and ooc and omg, I'm sorry guys.
> 
> But I mean. Anyway. It's been a bit since I updated, and I was just sick of this sitting in my docs. So please let me know in the comments what you guys thought...feedback means so much to me, and I'd love to get a picture of how you guys received this update! Thanks for reading, cya'll!


	3. Breaking News: Maple Syrup is Now Blue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They TRIED okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiya peeps. Just gonna...drop...this...update...
> 
> (But before I go, please pretend I didn't totally make up everything with my random bs regarding coding and medical stuff and whatever else. I honestly am so technologically challenged. And like, I know nothing about med stuff. Literally, you're welcome to yell at me about what I wrote I guess, but keep in mind I probably won't even understand what I did wrong, I'm that bad.)
> 
> Anyway. On with the show.

**Allura POV**

She stepped into the hall, tightening the cord around her waist and pulling her robe closer over her sleepwear. Behind her, the bedroom door slid shut with a dull snick.

The castle halls were dark, a few fixtures spread out to offer the bare minimum of light until daytime hours. Which, considering the time, weren't very far off at all. Her footfalls were the only sound besides the dull, constant thrumming of the castle's mechanics, and each step down the hall echoed loudly.

She turned a few times, passing the lounge, the training deck. Each was silent and dark with couches and training equipment casting ominous shadows along the floor. And, despite the layers she wore, it was cold too, lingering in the thresholds of the different rooms. Allura moved on quickly from each.

It was only when she reached the control room a number of doboshes later that she stopped.

The bridge was lit up unlike the majority of the castle, monitors were summoned from beneath the floor along the edges of the room with transparent screens, glowing and different strands of text and coding flickering across them. Multiple paladin stations, as well as Allura's and Coran's areas, were similarly awake. It wasn't how Allura had left it before she retired to her room for some much needed rest. She had a feeling she knew why.

The green paladin was sitting at her station. Fingers furiously working over a screen, attention drifting back and forth from that and a hand-held device, it seemed Allura's appearance had gone unnoticed.

As a spectator, she watched Pidge stand and hurry over to Allura's own station. She was shorter than Allura, of course, and forced herself to the tips of her feet in order to type at the monitor more efficiently. A moment later, after a heavy sigh, Pidge once again relocated, this time to the black paladin's token spot.

Allura finally shook herself out from her frozen state and made her way to the younger girl's side.

"Pidge?" she tried, cautiously reaching out to place a gentle hand on her shoulder.

Unfortunately, it seems their resident tech expert hadn't noticed Allura's entrance, nor her approach.

"Wha-!" Pidge turned with a stuttered gasp, one hand shooting towards the bayard hung at her waist, until recognition dawned in her wide eyes. With great reproach she hissed out, " _Allura_. Don't sneak up on me like that!"

"I-well, I apologize," Allura allowed, mentally deciding it wasn't worth arguing about. She withdrew her hand where it hovered halfway between her younger teammate and herself. "I was just...checking in. You seem busy?"

Pidge nodded, turning back to scroll through the black paladin screen while she talked. "Yeah, I tried running some pictures of those symbols on Keith's skin with my phone, but I couldn't find anything at all. So, I figured I'd try searching the castle database for anything useful."

"Good idea," Allura agreed. "Any luck?"

"None."

Pidge shot an irritated look at the monitor, as if it was being uncooperative on purpose.

"I'm trying to alter the algorithm right now, to narrow in on topics more likely to be connected and analyze them first, but I really haven't had that much practice with this code and there's so many layers to fix...But anyway," Pidge shook her head. "I think I'm bound to find something related within the next three quintants if there's anything to find at all."

Allura mulled that over. Three quintants...she hadn't spoken with Coran about any progress the cyro-pod might have made in healing Keith, but there was a possibility the red paladin would be up and about by the time the search ended. There were so many unknowns with the situation...it was hard to get a timeline together with what to expect, or even plan out what their next move should be.

"How long do you estimate it will take to adjust your search?" Allura asked.

Pidge, who was already re-absorbed with her work, took a second to zone back into their conversation.

"To fix the search itself?" Pidge's eyebrows furrowed together and her fingers paused momentarily as the question was considered. "A couple vargas at least, maybe a few more honestly. It's hard to tell without looking at all the pieces what will be trickiest to change."

So, it seems Pidge had plans for the morning, and perhaps for the majority of the quintant.

Allura just might have plans of her own. Guided by that thought her gaze slipped over to linger on the translucent screen at her work station. Pidge's work had infested the monitor, but she knew the girl wouldn't have deleted anything Allura had saved the previous night, especially if she had noticed what the topic included.

And speaking of the green paladin, Allura watched as she reached up and fixed her glasses where they had slid down the bridge of her nose, the sleeve of her green pajama top swiping under eyes that looked a little too red and covering a face that seemed a little too pale.

The image was enough to send Allura's thoughts of her station away quickly. Instead, she pinned Pidge with a hard stare.

"Pidge," Allura began slowly, thinking she might already know the answer. "Have you had anything to eat?"

"...ye-ah."

"Pidge." Allura crossed her arms. "Have you had anything to eat this morning?"

"...maybe."

"Last night?"

"..."

Allura sighed. "Pidge, have you had anything to eat since Hunk made lunch, _yesterday_?"

"...Hunk gave me a cookie. After I took a nap, last night."

Allura glanced at the monitor at the same time the other girl did. The search was indeed important, finding more information about whatever was ailing Keith-a priority, no question. But at the same time...

She had been raised with the duty of keeping her subjects healthy and happy. As guests in the Castle of Lions, the paladins were under her care, Pidge included.

"How about a break?" she suggested cautiously. "At least grab something to eat while you work, if, that is, you won't sit and dine for half a varga?"

Pidge immediately shook her head.

"I can't-you see that section right there? I'm so close to re-organizing this line-literally just had a major breakthrough while we were talking. I can grab some food later..."

Well. That wouldn't do. "I insist. Just a short while to grab something to sustain yourself-the work will be here when you return."

"Allura, I said no-"

"I insist." Allura said again, this time an edge to her voice, leaving no room for argument. Pidge typed in a silence for a moment longer, before she shook her head and sat back with a long-suffering sigh.

"You're not gonna leave me alone until I go with you, are you?"

Allura found that rather accurate and didn't disagree.

"Fine. A _quick_ bite, and then you, _and_ everyone else, is going to leave me to this for the rest of the day-er, quintant. _Deal_?"

"Deal," Allura assured her. "That sounds perfectly reasonable."

And with that Pidge rose to slightly unsteady legs and the two of them made their way from the control room, the automatic doors sliding open to allow them admittance into the hallway, which was already beginning to lighten under the addition of a couple more awake lights.

The kitchen and dining area weren't far, and in a matter of a dobosh or two the both of them were at the entryway to what was widely considered Hunk's domain. And on the matter of the yellow paladin and his kitchen-

"Hey, guys," Hunk welcomed, waving them in with a good-natured hand gesture. "If the two of you are willing to wait for a bit there's some space pancakes in it for you. And this stuff we found at the orange sky planet-it's practically just blue maple syrup!"

Allura had questions. Primarily regarding this 'maple syrup', but before she could voice any Pidge was already making her way to the seating niche overlooking the cooking area with a joyful, "Aw, yas! Hunk, you're the best."

"I know," Hunk agreed easily as he stirred some batter in a bowl. Allura had already been subjected to his pancakes twice before, and on both occasions the food was equally tasty. Allura joined Pidge at the niche, fully intending to enjoy this batch of the breakfast treat.

They watched as he finished stirring, only to add in some sort of powder and mix that in as well.

"So," Hunk began finally. "What brings you two to this section of the Castle at this hour? Come for a visit?"

"I came for _pancakes_ ," Pidge corrected. "And _Maple Syrup_. The conversation is just a price to pay."

" _Pidge_ ," Hunk scolded. "I am deeply wounded."

And then Allura had to smile gently as Pidge stuck her tongue out at their friend.

"In all seriousness though," Hunk insisted a moment later. "It's pretty early, you guys could be catching some z's right about now..."

"I could say the same for you," Pidge pointed out.

Hunk nodded. "Yeah, I took a couple hours with Keith so Lance could grab some shut eye. Shiro's back with him now though, so I thought I'd scramble up some breakfast." He pinned Pidge with a knowing look. "Now, you going to dodge that question again? "

Pidge shrugged, silently watching Hunk ladle a portion of the batter on a griddle and coax a pancake to life. She looked over with imploringly eyes and hesitantly drawn eyebrows. And so, the conversation torch was passed to Allura. She answered the previous question with some reluctance.

"Personally, I was...concerned," she admitted. "Last night before I retired I looked over the planet's levels at the time of Keith's...accident. An energy spike did seem consistent with the time Keith was struck unconscious."

"What?!" Pidge turned so fast her knees knocked against Allura's seat and both tipped dangerously before regaining their balance. "That could be our lead! Did you check for any fluctuations afterwards? Wait how high was the energy spike? Where did it generate from? How many-"

Hunk meanwhile, had completely abandoned his pancakes, and Allura felt mildly concerned about that. She watched a pancake darken dangerously as Hunk faced her with wide eyes and empty hands. "Wait, I thought there were no life signatures? So this spike came from something tech related? Right? Could you check the camera on Keith's helmet? Wait, _why haven't we checked the camera on Keith's helmet-"_

Allura tried keeping track of both of their words, she did. But the sentences were overlapping and honestly it made zero sense. She raised a hand and after a moment the two settled some, Hunk even rescuing his first pancake as he listened.

"I did watch the video picked up by his helmet," Allura disclosed. "Unfortunately, Keith was not facing the assailant or device that attacked him, and as far as I can tell, the helmet content may be a dead end."

"Figures," Pidge scoffed.

"That bites," Hunk agreed.

"The energy fluctuation," Allura continued. "Was generated from what I confirm is roughly Keith's position, and afterwards, there were no other notable spikes-"

"What about Keith and spikes?"

Allura looked up at the newcomer, finding a robe adorned Lance lounging against the doorframe with a quirked eyebrow.

"Allura checked the energy levels from when we were on the planet, and there was a spike around the time Keith was knocked out," Pidge informed him.

"Oh!" Lance said. "Well, we should probably look into that...Hunk, are those pancakes?"

"Yep! And I used the last of the chocolate to make some chips."

"Aw, _yesss_ ," Lance cheered, walking over to check out the food for himself. He helped himself to some of what Hunk called chocolate, and what Allura knew was actually an Altean delicacy, and then moved on to sample a few other substances laid out for Hunk to dabble with.

Allura sighed. "Typical," she muttered, turning to Pidge in search of agreement-

" _There's chocolate too_." Pidge went wide-eyed.

Allura shook her head.

No help would come for her here.

"I'm going to find Shiro and Coran," she announced, standing up. The stool she previously perched on shifted back delicately. "I'm sure someone will want to stay with Keith, but the majority of us should convene to discuss the information we've gathered and the steps we must take."

Lance used his thumb to swipe at what she guessed was the blue maple syrup smudged from the corner of his lip to his chin. "Sounds good 'llura."

Pidge offered her a brief nod before standing up from her own seat, casually crawling across the counter in lieu of walking around. She reached for a cup filled to the brim with a blue viscous liquid. Unfortunately, a hand snagged it before she was able to lay her claim. "Hunk! Lance is stealing the maple syrup!"

"Snitch!"

"Thief!"

"Guys there's enough to go around. Wait, Lance, don't drink all of it we need some for the pancakes-Pidge! Put down the spatula!"

Allura silently bid Hunk luck while exiting the kitchen, making her way towards the infirmary as the sound of Pidge hissing followed her through the halls.

She hoped she got a chance to try pancakes with maple syrup.

* * *

**Shiro POV**

Despite the vargas of sleep he managed to catch while Lance and Hunk took shifts with Keith, the reflective surfaces of the medbay showed his face staring back at him with dark shadows under squinted eyes, his clothes rumpled and the shirt inside out, the corners of his mouth strictly turned down-and to put it short, his expression deadened in a way that resembled his last desperate student years.

It wasn't pretty.

And it annoyed him.

He looked like he had been put through the ringer. Twice. And sure, the previous day had been no walk in the park, between jumping from different distress signals and desperate planets and all, but it didn't justify _this look._

He hadn't _done anything to help Keith_. He hadn't earned _this look._ But he still had it and that was _so so wrong_.

Shiro frowned as he stared down at the device Coran had pressed into his hands half a varga earlier.

The technologies involved in Voltron were beyond his understanding, the robot challenging a both frustrated and enraptured Pidge constantly with its complex makeup. However, despite how difficult it was to wrap his head around it, he'd come to terms with Coran's explanation of the Lions' translation abilities. He, and the rest of the team, relied on these abilities to converse and understand English, Altean, and other alien languages.

Unfortunately, Pidge theorized that whatever allowed the Lions to translate their conversations affected them physically. Through a mental connection of some kind. Which, of course, worked perfectly fine for verbal exchanges.

But not for writing.

Shiro tapped at the screen. Coran had filtered his Altean notes through a rudimentary translator-he said something called the Okari designed it? But while mostly understandable, it was obvious the program had a long way to go.

Sentences were ordered confusedly, and some words were so removed from everyday language it took him concentrating on their surroundings to unearth their meaning. Overall it was a struggle to read, but he didn't stop.

He couldn't stop.

Because even if he was just reading over the notes Coran accumulated, even if he was just informing himself on the situation, it was _Keith's situation._ And this was the only thing Shiro could do to try and help.

So, with periodic glances in the direction of the cryo-pod, Shiro read.

Coran made notes of odd levels of certain chemicals in Keith's body, and Shiro automatically assumed Keith was somehow drugged, only to scroll down further. The chemicals had nothing to do with his unconscious state, and Coran noted that the levels were probably part of his normal make up. Coran also noticed odd discrepancies with his ocular, auditory, and nervous systems among others, but offered no explanation for why they existed.

Shiro frowned, but chalked it up to Coran still adjusting to human anatomy.

He read on.

Coran included data from automatic temperature checks that were unfortunately in Altean units-which, of course, Shiro had little experience with. He recognized enough to realize the numbers were running high in comparison to numbers logged for the other paladins. Coran had noticed that too-and lowered the temperature of the sleep pod to compensate.

But try as he might, Shiro couldn't find it in himself to be that worried. He remembered chasing a younger, dizzy and listing, Keith around, practically shoving a thermometer down his throat to check for fevers.

The first time the numbers came back high enough to make Shiro freak, but it was Keith who assured him with a temp of one-hundred and six degrees (Fahrenheit) that it was _"-perfectly fine Shiro. Oh my God, take your shoes off-we are_ not _going to a hospital-"_

To which Shiro ignored for the most part, as he manhandled Keith down the hallway with a brisk, _"Not now Keith-my keys...where are my keys...? Just-just get in the car. I-how are you even_ standing-"

_"Shiroooo,"_ Keith had whined, digging his s _till bare feet, dammit Keith they need to go,_ into the floor in protest. _"That's like, a normal temperature for me. See-this is why I didn't want you to take it, I knew you'd overreact. I just run high-my dad said it was normal."_

But what the hell, because Keith's file said his father had been a fireman, and firemen received basic medical training and-well, even _common sense_ told you that a temperature this high was _bad bad bad_.

In the end, Adam chose that moment to walk in and had checked Keith over, calling in a buddy of his who was a registered nurse. The man confirmed that beside the baffling temperature Keith was only dehydrated with a mild cold-a couple Gatorades and boxes of tissues later Shiro was left with a brooding but healthy Keith, and life had moved on.

With that and a few following incidents in mind, Shiro had a feeling Keith's temperature now was the least of their worries. He quickly moved on.

Below the temperature readings Coran had inserted multiple measurements of Keith's blood pressure, pulse, and respiration rates. None worrying. In fact, all were healthy and better than average for people his age.

His height and weight were listed as well, and at the underwhelming numbers, Shiro vowed to drag Keith down for Hunk to stuff full of meals when they figured all of this out, other than that he didn't linger.

Shiro slowed down when he reached a tricky bit detailing Keith's brain activity. Even in normal completely comprehensible English, Shiro would have struggled to understand what all the numbers and phrases meant. With the words and order jumbled? Nearly impossible. Coran included little analysis on the subject, but it told Shiro there was nothing alarming, and that was enough for him.

The next few sentences of the report flowed easiest, with Coran stressing that while the findings were odd, beside the superficial scratches, there was nothing physically wrong with Keith. No clues as to how to fix it either.

Shiro was just getting to the part where Coran listed a plethora of treatments they could try-between the Altean words and medical terms it was all gibberish to him-when the sound of footsteps approached.

Across the room Coran looked up-he had pulled a table out of the floor and started humming as he toyed around with different containers, occasionally picking out a substance and mixing it with others before setting it aside, scribbling down a couple notes, and then starting again. Now, he set aside his most recent concoction to give their visitor a bubbling greeting.

"Good morning Princess!"

"Hello," Allura inclined her head, sharing a small smile with the room. "Shiro-I realize you must want to stay with Keith, but Coran, the other paladins and myself were going to meet for a discussion-your input would be much appreciated."

Coran's mustache lowered some as his grin weakened. The older man's eyes flicked noticeably in the pods direction, and then back at Shiro.

Shiro himself felt the hard set of his mouth break as he repeated, "Discussion?"

A discussion. That was a good idea-one he probably would have shared had he been in the main sections of the castle with everyone else.

"New information has come to light," Allura explained. "And I feel like we should all take the time to be updated on Keith's condition as well-there is much that needs to be shared."

"Wonderful idea," Coran said, standing from his chair and preparing to drop the table below the floor for safe-keeping.

But Shiro looked down at the device in his hand-the medical report stared up at him with everything Coran had gathered so far. He glanced over at the mixtures Coran had been toying with-and then at the list of Altean medicines he had included in the document for consideration. Was Coran preparing some up right now if they ended up needing them? He must be, what other explanation was there?

"Wait," Shiro said, pushing off of the wall he was leaning against, device brushing against his outer-thigh as his arm dropped and he began walking over to the princess. He looked over, "Coran? You added everything you knew on here-right?"

Shiro waved the device.

Coran pulled at his mustache as he nodded. "Every tid-bit on Number Four's condition," he agreed.

"Would you be willing to stay with Keith? I-I just-" Shiro caught his reflection's red rimmed eye on the metal plating behind Allura. "I'd like to be present if we're making any decisions-"

Shiro pretended not to see Allura and Coran exchange looks, before the orange-haired man spoke. "Of course, as the old proverb says: What splits the Vanerborf must be shared by merit."

"Uh, right." Shiro blinked. "Well, if anything happens, let us know."

Allura and Coran exchanged goodbyes, while Shiro took the opportunity to glance at Keith a final time. No change. _Hold on Keith._

Allura started walking, and Shiro followed her out of the room. In the doorway, he caught the eye of his reflection one last time.

_I'm going to help._

* * *

**Lance POV**

Lance stabbed a piece of his pancake, mopped up a generous serving of maple syrup with the spongy bite, then stuffed his mouth with the food. He chewed luxuriously for a moment, then gestured airily with his fork.

The conversation was floating around in his skull, pieces bumping and bruising as he tried to make sense of them. Most of the medical stuff went over his head-same with Hunk, Allura, and Pidge's debates on the recorded energy spike. But he was just proud he understood what he felt were the key points of the situation.

And speaking of the key points, he figured it was time to work some of them into today's grand scheme.

"So. Plaaaansss."

Across the table, Pidge shrugged. "I already know what I'm doing today."

"Yeah," Hunk sighed. "You told us-castle archives. We know."

"Just making sure." Pidge side-eyed Allura, who continued to daintily cut up her pancakes on her left. "I _was_ promised time to do my thing."

"You'll get your time," Shiro assured her. "It's a great idea."

Lance swallowed another bite of pancakes and mumbled, "It's a _slow_ idea. I wanna go back to the planet-try and find something else. We barely even looked around yesterday."

Sitting beside him, Hunk nodded. "Lance is right-Allura's energy spike find is a dead end so far, there's _no_ clues on the helmet cam, there's _apparently_ nothing physically wrong with Keith _except there is_ , and if Pidge can't find anything with those symbols we're gonna be _completely_ stumped. I think we need to visit the planet too. Do some scouting."

The table grew more dejected as he spoke. Lance licked some blue sugar from his finger and tried to ignore the gloomy clouds hanging over everyone's heads.

"You're right," Allura said finally. "You all are. A group must depart for the planet-however, the question remains, who to send? I, for one, would like to stay at the Castle of Lions-Coran had a chance to look over the symbols and though he recognized none, another set of eyes couldn't hurt."

"I'm out too," Pidge reminded everyone. Lance watched admiringly as she picked up her plate and began lapping at the leftover pools of syrup. Not bad, kid. She lowered it to add, "And someone has to stick with Keith."

"Coran," Allura and Shiro said in unison.

"O-okay," Lance said. That left- "So Shiro, Hunk, and I? We're just sending three?"

"Going to have to," Hunk pointed out. He reached over Lance and speared a pancake from the serving plate with his fork, dragging it back to his spot with relish. "And Allura, you'll be in our ears if something goes wrong-right?"

"Of course," she reassured him. "In the event of an emergency I will be at your full disposal."

Pidge finally finished with her plate and lifted her hand lazily into the air. "Same."

Lance eyed the syrup in her hair. "...right. So, that's it, then? Allura's energy thing, check. Keith's chart stuff, done. Whatever tech stuff Pidge is gonna play around with, done. And we've got the rest of the day planned-well, we've got a guideline."

"So...we're set," Pidge finalized. And then, "llura, could you pass me a pancake...? Thanks...Oh by gob, Hunk dese are sooo goob."

"Er, you're welcome," Hunk managed.

Lance, personally, looked away. Something about knowing that was her fourteenth pancake made his stomach roll.

Shiro, if the slightly green tint to his expression was anything to go by, felt similarly. He passed her a napkin. "...alright. Well, you guys hurry up and finish up eating, I'm going to go grab my paladin armor."

Pidge flashed a double thumbs up.

Lance looked mournfully down at his pancakes. Looks like today wouldn't be a day for savoring. He blamed mullet.

* * *

**Lance POV**

Less than half a varga later found Lance gently lowering his lion to the ground, releasing the controls as they came to a gentle stop.

"Thanks for the ride, girl," Lance jumped out of the pilot seat and made his way to the exit ramp, only, the door didn't slide open. "Uh, Blue?"

The lion rumbled low in her chest.

Lance sighed. "Bluuuue, c'mon. Hunk and Shiro are waiting-and we've got to figure out what took out emo."

The lion wiggled some and Lance reached out to place a hand on her inner wall for balance. "Hey, cut it out!"

The movement stopped and a tingling in the back of his skull warped as Blue cocooned his thoughts in a shell of warmth and concern. Lance smiled softly. "I'll be fine, besides, the sooner I go out there the sooner we can head back to the Castle."

He paused to listen. "NO, I'm not _worried_ about mullet head. It's just-it's...he's a team member. I've gotta go help. You know, one of those unwritten rules, a-a matter of principle."

The lion remained unimpressed as Lance's coms crackled to life. "Hey, Lance?" Hunk garbled. "You uh, you okay in there?"

Lance tapped his helmet, "Yeah, I'll be right out."

Then, he patted the wall and smiled up at the roof. "It's okay, Blue. Shiro and Hunk won't let anything happen to me."

A moment later the door cracked open and Blue wrapped him up in one last wave of comforting warmth before Lance jumped out onto the ground below. "Be right back!" he called over his shoulder as jogged over to where Shiro and Hunk waited. Waves of sand billowed up around him, and he squinted at his visor through the low visibility. It was worse than yesterday.

"You took your time," Hunk remarked. "Everything good?"

Lance nodded.

"Well in that case," Shiro turned away from the spiraled tower from yesterday-as the only upright landmark the building had the lions clustered at it's base. "We should start where you found Keith and work our way out from there-was it...this way?"

Shiro started hesitantly forward one way before stopping, looking back at Lance and Hunk sheepishly. "I came from the other direction."

"I didn't really come at all," Hunk pointed out. They both turned to Lance, who slowly scanned their surroundings.

Sand. That plastic-like material. More sand. And then, well, sand again-wait, no.

Lance zeroed in on a pile of green, made out of shattered splinters of the same material as everything else. "...this way."

Followed by the other two, Lance led their party in the direction of the green pile. They passed it by and Lance hesitantly recognized the shambles of what was previously a building.

The other two didn't seem to have a problem, but Lance felt his feet slip as they walked-the same minerals that shifted beneath him whipping through the air and skidding against his armor. The wind pushed at him and left him trying to hide his staggering.

A few more markers later and Lance finally caught sight of the overhang he dragged Keith under yesterday. "There!"

The trio made their way over to the spot. The scuff marks from yesterday had been covered or blown away, and there was no sign of their previous involvement with the space. Lance spun around once, finding nothing beside broken buildings, distorted objects, and granular minerals.

Damn. Impasse much?

Hunk agreed, because a second later, "...okay. Is it just me, or is there absolutely nothing here."

"Not just you." Shiro sighed. The sand buffeted them as their leader glanced around, his helmet shifting with each look. "We're going to have to spread out," he finally decided. "Each pick a third and look for anything out of the ordinary."

And, okay, call him chicken, but Lance's alarm bells started to ring. "Split up?"

Hunk migrated closer to the two of them at that. "Shiro, we did that yesterday, and look at how well that turned out."

"I know," Shiro sighed again. "I know, but if we want to figure out what happened with Keith we've got to cover more ground. If anything goes wrong you can call your lion and everyone else is on standby to help-we'll do check-ins too."

"But-"

"Hunk," Lance interrupted, confidence suddenly swelling. "We're paladins-c'mon man, this is our job. Plus Sleeping Beauty needs us to bring back some answers."

Hunk took a shuddering breath. "Yeah, yeah, you guys are right. We've got this."

"Course we do!" Lance assured him. "I'll take left."

* * *

**Lance's POV-Later**

Lance did not have this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp...That felt...kinda fillerish? Like, I expected to actually end this chapter at a much different place, but then I was getting caught up with all the characters and stuff, and then I got hungry so like, pancakes. But yah, now we're here. Next time I promise we're gonna have some more...plooot?
> 
> Idk what to call it. It'll be more interesting. At least, I think so.
> 
> Also. ALSO. Before y'all yell at me about fevers and brain damage and stuff, I know that 106 degrees is like, baaaad, but I also figure that since Keith is half-Galra he works a little bit differently. So temp is different along with some other stuff (which I figured would have freaked Shiro to hell at some point.)
> 
> Anyway. Thanks for waiting on the chap guys! Pls pls pls let me know what you thought of it!


	4. Keith Stop Eating the Sun I Swear-

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith needs a nap but like, you can see why that just is not going to work out...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey. I skipped out on Keithy in the last chap and now I feel neglectful so here's some feisty emo paladin for y'all.

**Keith POV**

Bent over, hands on his knees and gasping on the icy air, he had made it.

Up close the tower was a washed-out gray cement, the twisted cylinder shape growing more spindly the further into the sky it reached. A single door hung on it's top hinges alone, rotting wood cracking and crooked, one bottom corner sticking firmly into a cut of ashy ground.

Keith hesitated before the threshold.

The cold mud that cropped up in different slashes throughout the dead forest's floor had reached its end. A couple feet back from the tower, Keith lingered in the last puddle. The grime soaked through his shoes. Just as freezing as the air that grazed his bare arms.

Behind him the howls continued-needy and brittle each yelp crawled through his veins and squeezed. _Inside,_ his nerves screamed. _AwayAwayGetAWAY._

But his legs stayed rooted to the spot. His eyes peered into the dark maw of the tower entrance. Something innate, welded to his bones, told him _inside_ would protect him-at least, from his pursuers. At the same time a different inner voice, one clinging firmly to his flesh, screamed to turn back. The two primal ideas warred inside, his head aching under the strain.

His moment of indecision was just that-a moment. But to Keith, it felt like an eternity until he managed to step forward and trudge up to the twisted door.

The bottom edge had sunk into the ground with time, and the wood splintered under his hand as he tugged it back and widened the gap into the tower just enough to slip through. He did so.

Then, once inside, he resisted the urge to turn right around.

To run.

The small amount of gray light that slid in from the doorway didn't spread far. He held his knife out in front of him as he cautiously crept inside, a faint purple glow crawling out in front of him, illuminating a couple feet of dusty concrete floor.

Great.

Keith sidestepped, keeping his free hand lightly brushing the wall. He narrowed his eyes at the shadows and gradually the murk took shapes in some places and lack of form in others.

A few feet ahead, he could just make out the start of a staircase, one that hugged the curved wall of the tower. He hefted his knife and the gleam from the symbol brightened, drawing out to illuminate a few more steps.

Keith hesitated. He could no longer hear the howling, and the bristling of his nerves had calmed, no longer screaming at him to escape quite as loudly. Still...something about those steps...

He squeezed his hands, the free one aching as splinters from the door embedded themselves further into his flesh. Then, with one deliberate stride, he began to ascend.

The staircase had no railing, and each step was narrow-no wider than a yard. The rest of the tower's inside was seemingly empty as far out as he could see.

Keith folded himself closer to the wall as he crept up. The fingertips he trailed across the stone ached against the cold, rough texture-he was sure they were painted dark with dust. Until-

He paused, his hand was plastered against something flat and metallic-raised against the gritty sprawl of rock. Keith drew his knife closer to the wall and-yep. A shining square plate was lodged in the wall. By squinting he could make out a scrawl of symbols etched in the middle. He traced his finger over the markings with a frown.

"What...?"

Keith examined the symbols closer. Lines and swirls and dots and dashes and more all crisscrossed across the gleaming surface, forming exactly no image he could recognize. They were obviously deliberately made though...must be alien. Allura might be able to figure out which race.

But Allura wasn't here.

So Keith took in the sprawl of coded information-he focused and searched for patterns or familiarity, all the while unconsciously edging closer. The moment stretched and a tight ball of pain formed above his left eye as he focused-it wasn't the only thing that formed.

Something told him if someone asked about it he wouldn't have been able to explain it. It was a sensation unlike anything he had experienced-something separate from a human's exposure. Starting from the base of his spine rippled out a chilled wave that shifted unpredictably and lurked under his skin. It sulked through his systems and crawled unpredictably with a touch that reminded him of the crackling of static _._

Keith tasted iron and his ears popped and twitched. The base of his spine started to burn with numbness and his eyes watered while the feeling spread and forced its way further like a virus-clinging to him with it's toxicity.

His heart beat faster and the next time his ears twitched he could hear it pumping desperately.

_Thump. Thump. Thump._

The sound of pulsing lengthened and pulled until each pulse beat with the noise of a ticking clock nearing the end of a deadline.

_Tick. Tick. Tick._

Faster. And faster.

The pressure in his head mounted, his legs and arms ached, the cold sweat trailing down his back sent his nerves into a jumbled mess that twisted and snaked up and down and left and right and just like that he knew the ticking would stop and with it would his heart and something would happen- _something would happen but Keith didn't know_ _what-_

He withdrew his finger.

Just like that, the sensation vanished.

Keith swallowed thickly and the taste of metal faded.

He felt primed-like a bomb that had counted down to zero and still hadn't detonated. Each second passed with bated breath and the expectation of the _something_. But there was no ending to the sensation's build up. No sudden explosion.

The plate stayed lit under his knife stationary and innocent.

So he moved on, only rising a few steps before his line of sight changed.

Where before the glow from his knife faded into the all-encompassing darkness, now the sheen cut out oddly in front of him. He reached out and tentatively found another wall. More concrete that reached out the entirety of the narrow staircase.

Keith bit his lip. His fingers trembled where they brushed against the concrete, the tips (as numbingly cold as they were) suddenly twitched with feeling. A warmth bloomed across the digits and spread further up the limb with something like _static_ -

He staggered back-one of his feet finding open air and his balance shifting dangerously as he leaned uncontrollably-

His hand swung out and scraped against stone and solid and then something cold and hard that banged against his knuckles. Keith grabbed at it desperately.

For one terrifying moment his fingers slipped and he thought he was going to tumble back down the stairs, the living revival of the age old 'I've fallen and I can't get up' commercial, but then his flailing hand found purchase against the corner of the metallic plate.

Keith tightened his grip as his feet scrabbled for solid ground, his other hand braced against the wall, knife still clutched in its grip. For one brief irreplaceable moment his balance returned and the burning in his hands faded.

It didn't last.

Golden light bloomed to life along the etchings in the plate. The metal flamed white-hot and he retracted his hand, jaw agape as he unsteadily backed down a couple steps.

Only, the light grew brighter, and hotter. It unfurled across the stairs and threw the gray stone of the walls into sharp relief...Keith even noticed the vivid red scrapes that bloomed across his arms and hands-

But it burned too hot. Too bright.

It engulfed him in a pool of stars and sharp needles. Keith trashed and turned until the solidity of the steps underfoot faded away and he was lost to gold.

He fell.

And then fell some more.

Tumbling through the shining abyss was a breathless experience-literally. The surrounding warm glow plunged through his open mouth and stole his oxygen, squeezed through his closed eyes and lit his vision on fire. His skin flushed with the pain of heavy sunburns. It even had a taste. Like ice and melted sun swirled and meshed and scalding on his tongue.

The whole thing stretched and squeezed and lasted for both a second and an eternity.

_Thunk._

...what.

Keith ended up aching and sprawled across something flat and smooth-seemingly endless until he opened his eyes.

After the minute it took for the multi-colored stars to fade away and for his vision to recuperate, he blinked again just to be sure, because around him, the world had shifted. Gray skies and crooked trees were gone. Replaced by shine and open clear space. A blue infinite overhead. A glaring sun. When he stood, grass began growing beneath his feet-lush and so s _o_ green.

And surrounding him stood a ring of mirrors-tilted _just so_ in a way that made it impossible for one to catch his reflection. There was space between so slivers of the endless grass and sky could be seen beyond.

Keith paused and waited, clutching his knife in one hand and a handful of splinters in another-not even noticing when a bead of blood worked its way free from one small gouge.

It dropped to the bed of green.

And the reflections changed.

Well-one did. Keith dropped his knife and his hands swung loose by his sides as his posture straightened with surprise. Because-that...wasn't possible. And Keith knew it was an alien trick-he knew it was something messing with him and he knew something was wrong, something that tasted like _ice and melted sun_ -But all of that didn't matter and was quickly shoved away behind the tight pain behind his eye because _that was_ -

"...Dad?"

Static crawled across his skin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And hey. That took longer to make than you'd expect for something that is such a quick read but-
> 
> I like the idea of a short spot of Keith here. Idk...this is just me but it feels like this spot is the end of the beginning for this fic. Like, everything's set up to kind of play out now from my pov writing this thing...maybe one more chap with the rest of the crew to tie up their end...but this is the end before the next level for Keithy so a splash of him just kinda rolling with chaotic nothing worked for me here. I get that this might not be exactly what people wanted in a chapter...but it's what I got in me.
> 
> Y'all can expect some Lance and crew in the next chap. That's a thing.
> 
> I know it was short but puh-leeeease leave a review 'cause I love them so so much and it feeds the me. Other than that have a good day and happy belated Thanksgiving y'all.


End file.
